Additional Leisure battery

[matt-the-sign]

I've been reading in the Wiki section that an additional Leisure battery sited close to my Ebber heater will stop the problem of the heater shutting off just after turning it on due to the 20amp it pulls for the glow plug (diesel) ..... all sounds feasable, but .... am I right in thinking the additional battery must be exactly the same as the existing Leisure battery to stop one draining the other ????

[1664]

I think as long as they are both the same voltage batteries there shouldn't be a problem.

When you connect the two together you may get a flow of current from one to the other as they will not be in exactly the same state of charge (easiest thing to do is to fully charge both up seperately from the same charge source and then connect together). If there is any flow from one to the other it will stop once a state of equilibrium is achieved and then they'll just work in tandem.

Don't forget, this situation occurs every time you turn your ignition key as that effectively operates the relay that links your leisure battery to the vehicle electrics (hence the vehicle battery).

This is my understanding. Someone will be along shortly to make me look a gormless fool.

Make damn sure you connect them in parallel though - ie, red to red and earth to earth (unless you want to be ashes to ashes )

[Red Westie]

Connecting them in series would give you a 24volt battery with the same capacity.
Martin